A Royal Air Force RC-135W Rivet Joint electronic surveillance aircraft has conducted a patrol around the Russian territory of Kaliningrad. “RC-135W Rivet Joint employs multidiscipline Weapons System Officer (WSO) and Weapons System Operator (WSOp) specialists whose mission is to survey elements of the electromagnetic spectrum in order to derive intelligence for commanders.” The Royal Air Force say that Rivet Joint has been deployed extensively for Operation Shader and on other operational taskings. It had been formally named Airseeker, but is almost universally known in service as the RC-135W Rivet Joint. All three were converted from KC-135 tanker airframes under a co-operative programme with the United States Air Force, which operates a larger fleet of the type from Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.